Crain's 40 Under 40: 25 years of talent-spotting

25 years of talent-spotting

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1989: Oprah Winfrey has lived in Chicago five years and already made national syndicationand ratings history. But in the months leading up to this honor, she launches her production studio, Harpo, and makes broadcast history.

25 years of talent-spotting

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1990: Rahm Emanuel shows hisfundraising prowess early, raising $7.5 million in 1989 for Mayor Richard M. Daley as principal of Research Group. To win, you have “to run campaigns like businesses,” he tells Crain's that year. Indeed, he shows up for his photo shoot in Gordon Gekko-like suspenders.

25 years of talent-spotting

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1991: “There Are No Children Here” by Alex Kotlowitz puts a human face on the national public housing debate and lands the Chicago journalist on the list.

25 years of talent-spotting

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1992: “I have one goal when a customer walks in the door,” pioneering Chicago chef Charlie Trotter tells Crain's. “I want to blow his mind.” Chicago soon lands on the international culinary map.

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1993: “If you have the chance to go to Harvard Law School, it's no accomplishment to be (just) a partner in a law firm,” a young Barack Obama, then director of Illinois Project Vote, tells Crain's after registering a record number of voters. . . .

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. . . But in this particular year, a more recognizable 40 honoree is possibly Steve Albini, who produced Nirvana's “In Utero” album.

25 years of talent-spotting

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1994: Mayor Richard M. Daley, who has beefed up the city's economic development arm, entrusts Valerie Jarrett to improve small-business access to city services.

25 years of talent-spotting

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1995: The “R” in GTCR, Bruce Rauner is as high-flying as the private-equity market: In this year, he sits on the boards of 10 companies in which GTCR holds investments.

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1997: Byron Trott oversees Goldman Sachs' Midwest investment banking business, which spans 13 states. He won't break from the herd with his own firm for another decade.

25 years of talent-spotting

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1998: Lisa Madigan runs, and wins, her first political race. Daddy Michael Madigan has a dynasty, but she tells Crain's that her decision to enter politics surprised even him.

25 years of talent-spotting

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1999: Princeton University grad Mellody Hobson oversees client services for another Princeton grad, John Rogers Jr., at Ariel Capital Management. Outside the job, she already is a civic force.

25 years of talent-spotting

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2000: Forget the massive “tech wreck” this year. J.B. Pritzker leads one of the first early stage venture-capital funds targeting “Internet opportunities.”

25 years of talent-spotting

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2002: Nate Berkus is the go-to interiors man about town, whether the job is spiffing up restaurants or appearing on “Oprah.” He predicts he'll design his own line of home goods one day.

25 years of talent-spotting

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2004: Ken Griffin is more than a decade into managing his hedge fund, Citadel. Sources tell Crain's he works his staff “mercilessly.”

25 years of talent-spotting

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2005: CoolSavings CEO Matthew Moog proves that a consumer-friendly mentality is good for tech.

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2008: U of C economics grad Nate Silver blows a hole in politics with his brand of data-driven predictive analysis.

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2009: Northwestern University transplant surgeon Juan Carlos Caicedo leads what is possibly the nation's first organ transplant program for Hispanics.

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2009: Groupon co-founder and CEO Andrew Mason is the darling of Wall Street when he lands on this list. After a tumultuous tenure, he is ousted four years later.

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2010: Reality TV is really good for the business of chef Stephanie Izard, who launches her mini-empire on Randolph Street.